While stationed in Iraq with the US Army at an assignment that required they use a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) 1114 (the up-armored version of the HMMWV), the inventors experienced difficulty in trying to stow their gear and equipment in the hatch of the vehicle. The need for a spare tire, tow-bar, tools, and slave cable takes much of the hatch space. The tow-bar is a particularly large object and is irregular in shape. Because of this it is cumbersome, and so getting the tow-bar out of the hatch takes a lot of time and some concentrated effort, and so is dangerous in a hostile environment.
The inventors determined that what is needed is a way to carry the tow-bar outside the hatch of the vehicle to save space in the hatch, and ideally in a way that reduces the time and makes it easier to put the tow-bar in use.